MT. DOUBT - IN AWE OF NOTHING

Mt. Doubt's 2015 debut album My Past Is A Quiet Beast was one of my favourite albums of last year with its blend of deep lyrics and dark, intriguing guitar pop a real breath of fresh air. Leo Bargery quickly established himself as one of Scotland's most interesting new singer-songwriters, and In Awe Of Nothing, a quick follow up to My Past..., shows that the last twelve have only scratched the surface of what Mt Doubt is capable of. Merging dark pop with indie rock, bits of post punk and powerful, affecting songwriting, In Awe Of Nothing is yet another, tremendous Mt. Doubt release.

Recent single Afterglow (below) shows Mt. Doubt at their best with its irresistible melodies encased warm but edgy guitars. Thirst, Sheer And Utter and Soak are in a similar vein, each one distinct from the other, but all following one of Mt. Doubt's key paths - emotional, guitar led, anthemic indie pop with a near the surface undertone of sheer power that is only revealed when the song's are played live. There, songs which grab you on record take on a new life and that's one of the most intriguing things about Mt. Doubt. Both in their recorded and live versions, these songs are impossible to ignore.  Closing track Bastard Sea comes closest to combining the two and it's a thrilling end to the album. Bargery gives us the full Matt Beringer meets Eddie Vedder vocal style that sounds so huge live and it's a real treat.

In Awe Of Nothing is a noticeable step on from My Past Is A Quiet Beast, mainly because the songs here have a fresh confidence to them, feeling less confessional and private that the tracks on the debut. That's not to belittle that album of course because, as I mentioned above, I love it and you really should hear it, but In Awe Of Nothing adds new dimensions to Mt. Doubt's sound and is yet more evidence that this is a very special band indeed. It's a special album too - give it a listen.

In Awe Of Nothing by Mt. Doubt is out now on Scottish Fiction on very limited vinyl, cd and download. Mt. Doubt are playing the T-Break stage this Saturday (9 July) at 2 p.m at T In the Park. Check out their Facebook page below for more details and for all news and upcoming gigs.

Mt Doubt Facebook https://www.facebook.com/MtDoubt/?fref=ts
Mt Doubt Bandcamp https://mtdoubt.bandcamp.com/album/in-awe-of-nothing